Best Late-Night Streetwalker

Tony Bartelme

Staff Pick

Over the years, Tony Bartelme has become The Post and Courier's go-to investigative reporter, and every year, you can expect one doozy of a story from him. This year, Tony tackled the firebug who has been setting fire to downtown homes, likely for years. The multipart story offered a lot of insight into the nature of the crimes and perhaps even a glimpse into the mind of the arsonist and the challenges of catching him, thanks in part to a late-night stroll taken by Bartelme through the targeted neighborhoods. Most importantly, during his investigation, Bartelme discovered that the arsonist may have begun his reign of terror much earlier than police originally thought and that this initial fire claimed the life of one long-time downtown resident. The arsonist has not been caught, but hopefully, Tony's reports have made the public more aware of what to look out for and what to do to limit their chances of being targeted by the firebug.